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introdUCtion Why this Book is needed
A recent report from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop calls
for the development of high-quality resources to support teachers in imple-
menting technology in thoughtful, intentional ways in classrooms (Barron
et al. 2011). Meanwhile, the National Association for the Education of Young
Children and the Fred Rogers Center (2012) have also recently released their
position statement on developmentally appropriate technology use in early
childhood programs for children from birth to age eight. The position state-
ment thoughtfully highlights important elements for practitioners to consider
when implementing technology. Teachers need to consider how they select,
use, and integrate technology with the nontechnological tools they are already
using. They also need to consider how they will evaluate strategies in terms of
effectiveness. The statement includes recommended guidelines for the imple-
mentation of particular strategies for given ages and development levels. This
book is designed to address the components of the NAEYC and FRC position
statement and also respect the wide-ranging skills that teachers possess. My
hope is that it provides teachers with a set of tools to engage children with
technology to support learning.
In classrooms, teachers and children can embrace new technologies to
enhance the way they gather, share, analyze, create, apply, and assess informa-
tion. The technologies available can be used in a whole host of ways that open
doors to a multitude of possibilities. A digital voice recorder
Brian Puerling and Chip Donohue of
the Erikson Institute discuss common
questions about and opportunities with
today’s technologies. (www.redleafpress
.org/tech/n-1.aspx) used by doctors and FBI agents to record conclusions and
next steps can also be used by teachers to record conversa-
tions between children. An iPad, used at home to organize
to-do and shopping lists, can be used in a classroom to
quickly gather anecdotal notes on children in a class to be immediately sent to
grade-level team members or other professionals. Technologies of our world
are evolving at an astonishing rate. When Steve Jobs passed away in the fall of
2011, many were shocked and wondered what would happen to the pace of our
technology development. The glass entrances of Apple stores across the country
became tiled in notes by people thanking Mr. Jobs for his brilliance and for what
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